“The end of the internet – the end of the world as we know it”

At Paper Giant, we talk about design as a method that can help people imagine futures – as a tool to help people think through the implications of the decisions we make today.

Science fiction does the same thing. In Infinite Detail, Tim Maughan does a spectacular job of painting out a near future in which the internet has been destroyed by an activist group. It explores both the lead-up and the aftermath, and issues deeply relevant to us right now – corporate ownership of technical infrastructure, big data, corporate surveillance, privacy.

I loved the way this book threads together two timelines (before and after the internet shutdown), the way it explores the motivations of the characters, and the ways in which people adapt and adjust to a complete rewiring (or de-wiring?) of everyday life. I also loved its strong sense of place, achieved mostly through Maughan’s descriptions of Bristol and the weaving of music throughout the narrative.

Read an excerpt here.